Moving On
by namelessjen
Summary: When you stop looking for love, it comes from where you'd least expect it.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: I am definitely not medically trained, so the medical side of this story will be vague so hopefully I won't make a fool of myself. Enjoy.**

Walking along the lonely hallways of what was once Seattle Grace hospital, Meredith let out a longed for sigh. This place was filled with everything she wanted to forget, the place where she had more heartache than most people should ever have to endure. She'd lost more than she'd like to sit down and count, friends, family, herself.

Footsteps echoed from far and near, her heart was pounding in her chest as she rounded the corner and fell back into reality. Chaos was everything as usual, doctors rushing about, patients scattered all over the room. She looked around at many faces and snapped out of her thoughts. It was just another day at work, another busy day filled with hiding your own thoughts and burying your emotions. She could do that, let the dark and twisties hide for cover for just one day.

She worked until her feet felt like they'd fall off, and her neck was aching and all she wanted was a shot of tequila and for the world to cease to exist for just one evening. If only she could be that lucky.

Everyone seemed to constantly need her, at work she was "Dr Grey I need this," "Dr Grey can I do that?" and at home she was Mommy and Meredith, she didn't know which was more demanding. It was an effort and then some before all three of her children were tucked up in bed, and she could finally relax.

Her feet were prepped up against one of her couch's cushions, and the telly played almost silently in the background. She wasn't paying it any attention but the slight hum was soothing for her. She downed shots until her throat was burning, and Alex was walking in to check on her. He's only just come home. It made her smile sometimes, thinking about how things had changed so much. There was once a time when she couldn't stand Alex Karev, a man who was as pleasant to be around, as a colonoscopy was to perform. Yet now he was living under her roof, and it wasn't for the first time.

"You want some?" She questioned with a raised brow. Alex smiled and shook his head. He took the blanket off the other couch and draped it over her as he sat down in the empty spot beside her.

"We're not watching anything. I just can't stand listening to myself drinking. It's depressing." Meredith informed him as she placed her glass down on the coffee table.

"Nobody likes listening to you drink." He told her, chuckling under his breath. She rolled her eyes at his words, but she couldn't help but laugh herself.

"You're such a jerk!" She told him, nudging his shoulder with her own. He just smiled and pressed his head up against her shoulder. He liked this, having somebody to come home to, someone who wasn't questioning his every move, someone who wasn't trying to psychoanalyse every word that came out of his mouth. Meredith was his best friend, his person, and he didn't know where he would be without her.

"How're you doing?" She asked him after letting him get lost in his runaway thoughts. He's been single for a short while, and still hasn't talked to her about anything. She had made it clear that it was up to him whether or not he came to her about it, but she could see in his eyes that even if he wanted to, he would be too stubborn to ask for help.

"I'm fine." He assured her, sitting up to look at her. She cocked her head to the side in disbelief. She knew better than to push him, but he just looked like a lost puppy, like Bailey when he forgets what he came into a room for.

"If you change your mind.." She trailed off, reaching out to take his hand. "I'm here. I'm always going to be right here. You're stuck with me until you decide to move away like Cristina." She said with a crooked smile, laughing to rid the awkward tension in the air.

He just shook his head and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He wasn't going anywhere, even if she pushed him away. They were like family, her children meant everything to him, and Meredith herself was such an incredible light in his life; even when she was in her dark and twisty periods.

"Why don't you pour me a drink, and we'll see what trash we can find to make fun of." He said as he motioned towards the television set. Meredith simply laughed and handed over the remote.

As he flicked through channels, he glanced over towards the kitchen were his friend was pouring him a glass. She laughed, and he turned around completely to see that she'd spilled alcohol down the front of her white blouse.

"I think you've had enough." He said with a laugh as he hurried into the kitchen after her. He picked up the wet dish cloth and tried dabbing it against her chest.

"I don't think that's working." She giggled, taking it from his hand. "I'll just go upstairs to change. Your drink's on the counter." She said with a big smile, walking backwards towards the stairs. Her black bra was now clearly visible, she hasn't been in this situation since she was breast feeding, and milk would leak in the most awkward of situations. Her body really hated her sometimes, or maybe she just liked making her life difficult.

By the time she made it back down the stairs, Alex had nearly finished his drink. He looked up at Meredith who had completely changed her outfit. Her hair was messily tied up in a bun above her head and she looked like she was ready for bed.

"You don't have to stay up for me." He insisted as she made her way back into her old spot beside him. She snorted and shook her head as he went to stand up.

"I'm a mom now, I don't have a social life. This is the closest I've had to a night out in a long time. Sit your ass down and let me have some fun." She told him bossily, and Alex sat back down beside her.


	2. Chapter 2

_**THIS WEEKS EPISODE IM SCREAMING. I SHIP MER AND ALEX SO MUCH.**_

When Meredith woke up, her head was throbbing. She didn't remember the exact details but she could recall a few bottles of liquor, that she probably shouldn't have drank last night. She let out a yawn and stumbled out of her bed. She was tired and possibly a little grumpy, but her stomach was growling and she really needed a glass of water.

The aroma hit her as she wandered down the staircase, she could smell it from almost the very first step. She let out a relief when she realised she wasn't dreaming. As she rounded the corner, her gaze was filled with a vision of Alex helping Zola with her pancakes, as Bailey made a mess of his cereal. In the corner her youngest child was sitting in her high chair, kicking her legs excitedly as she made a mess of her own breakfast.

"Morning." She spoke, a little groggy. When Alex looked up, a smile came over his face.

"I made you some eggs. Thought that'd cheer you up a bit." He said, nodding towards the plate he'd already served up.

She sighed and walked further into the kitchen, stopping to press a kiss on each child's face.

"You don't have to do this you know. I'm supposed to be their parent. You're just renting a room." She pointed out, and Alex rolled his eyes. She really wasn't used to people doing things just to be nice. It drove him mad sometimes.

"Just sit down and eat your breakfast." He instructed as he handed over a fork. Meredith smiled and played with the many condiments that lines the table. Her stomach was very thankful towards her friend, who looked after her better than she looked after herself it seemed.

"Last night. I'm sorry about that. I probably said a few things I shouldn't." She said sincerely as Alex sat down beside her. Her children weren't paying them any attention, and probably wouldn't for the rest of the morning really, until they needed something, they learnt that from a young age.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about." He assured her, taking his first mouthful. He didn't mind any of this, cooking and looking after the kids, he didn't mind sharing a drink with Meredith as they laughed and tried to forget about their crappy lives. There was something about how easy it was to get along with her. He didn't know how to describe it, but that feeling of belonging was everything to him.

Meredith didn't quite believe him, and simply smirked across at him. She fiddled with her eggs, until they were cold. She didn't want to be rude so she downed the rest of her plate, despite the feeling of wanting to gag came over her with every bite. She washed up all of the dishes, despite Alex's protests.

It was late that afternoon when Meredith had finished teaching her class, and Alex had called her in for a consult. She wandered in through the doorway, with her hair up in a messy ponytail, with her hand clutched to her chest as she took a moment to catch her breath.

"You paged me." She said once she could muster up the words.

Alex nodded and handed over his patient's chart. He watched as she scanned her eyes over the words, a frown on her face. He caught himself staring and glanced back towards the patient.

Meredith knew exactly what to do, and they worked along side each other without a hitch as usual. Alex didn't know when they'd become so in sync, but as they talked procedures, it seemed that every idea they bounced between each other seemed to stick, they were on the same page.

When Meredith's head hit her pillow that evening, she was tired, and her head felt like it was spinning in hundreds of different directions all at once. She closed her eyes in an attempt to stop it from spinning. She felt the bed dip down, a grown adult body laid out beside her. Maggie was working, which meant it had to be Alex. She smiled and rolled over to face him.

"Bailey just called me dad." Alex whispered, searching her eyes for a reaction. Meredith didn't know how that made her feel, Alex wasn't his father, Alex wasn't anybody's father.

"I'll talk to him in the morning." She said tiredly, feeling a little deflated. This wasn't what she needed to be dealing with right now, this wasn't what she needed to be dealing with ever actually.

"I told him I wasn't his dad, don't worry." He hummed softly, staring up at the ceiling. Meredith closed her eyes again and let out a little sigh. She missed Derek, she missed her children having a father, but things happen and she's had to adjust. She was adjusted, she was ready to move on from the past.

"Jo talked to me." She whispered, reaching out to find his hand. Her fingers wrapped around his, swallowing them into an embrace. She tried to recall the exact details of that conversation.

"What about?" Alex frowned, rolling over to face her, Jo hasn't been able to even look in his direction since they broke up, and he had no idea why she would be talking to Meredith of all people, someone she blamed for their relationship's death.

"She thinks I'm in love with you." Meredith whispered, chuckling to herself. She wasn't in love with Alex, that was just absurd. They were friends. They were just friends. That's all she knew right now.

"She thinks that I pay you more attention than anybody else." He snorted, shaking his head.

"You don't. That's not true." Meredith answered, shaking her head slowly. "She's just trying to make sense of whatever it was that went down between you two. I don't want any part of that."

"We don't have to talk about this anymore." Alex whispered as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He wasn't in the mood to think about Jo any longer, and by the sound of things, neither was Meredith.

"Good. Let's stop." She whispered, rubbing her thumb across his hand.


End file.
